5 Things You Should Never Say to a Recruiter

5 Things You Should Never Say to a Recruiter A good recruiter will have the ability to make the candidate feel comfortable enough to open up to them and reveal a bit of their personality. However, as a job seeker there is such thing as getting too relaxed and an overshare or flippant remark may cost you the job. While the recruiter is not the key decision maker in the hiring process, they do have the say over which candidates are presented to their client and what kind of recommendations they make. So, no matter how pally you get with your recruiter, its important to remain professional and avoid saying these things: 1) Ill take anything You reach a point in your job search where you feel a bit desperate and at this stage it becomes tempting to accept a job from anywhere that will take you! This being said, it is not something to share with your recruiter. They want to find candidates who are passionate about what they do and have a clear direction they would like their career to go, not somebody who will do anything for the money. 2) Its only a short term arrangement If youre out of a job, it may be the case that you need an in between job  to keep you afloat while you find something a bit more permanent; however you should never let your recruiter know this. They have established a trust with their client and are therefore expected to supply them with candidates who are truly committed to the role, so even hinting at the fact that its not exactly your dream job may rule you out of the running. 3) My last company was just AWFUL You wouldnt bad mouth your previous employer in a formal job interview (or shouldnt anyway!) and you shouldnt do so in a casual chat with a recruiter either! Its likely that theyll ask you why you left or whats made you want to look for a new opportunity, but you should not use this as an invitation to vent all your frustrations with the company. It wont reflect well on you. 4) I dont think Ill take the job So youre going through the motions for a new role; your recruiter has sent your CV through to their client, theyve invited you in for an interview and the arrangements have been made. Deep down you know that you wont be taking the job because either youve got other interviews lined up, youve decided you dont want to leave your current job, or another reason altogether. If youre purely going  along with the process  to keep your options open, thats understandable; just dont tell your recruiter this or all trust will probably be lost and theyll feel like all their time and effort was in vain. 5) Im just waiting for my counter offer No better way to remind your boss what theyve got than by threatening to leave, right? If your recruiter has found themselves in the middle of a plot to get a pay rise or promotion, its probably best to keep this quiet, than to let them know theyre a pawn in your game. Useful reading:  How to Avoid Candidates Dropping Out or Accepting Counter Offers [Image Credit: Shutterstock]